Reflections on the Summer

I consider the three months I spent at Sequoia Kings National Park the best months I’ve had in my life yet.  Being at SEKI made me happy and there were moments of shear peacefulness and contentedness that seemed to go on for days, and weeks.  This isn’t to say that everything was perfect – I created my own stress at times by over-thinking my single-status in life, and having my car break down was pretty hard.  But I was completely graced out this season, and I consider this summer an incredible gift from God; a chance to get away for a while from the trappings and responsibilities of life and have a beautiful place to wake up every day, to have time to think and be at peace.  Even my car breaking down was a gift – what are the odds that my car would break down right at a rest area, when the past 3 hours of driving were in a construction zone with no shoulders?  And because of my car, I was able to see my parents and witness how God orchestrated me getting back to the Park using seemingly random personal connections and the Park Service community. 

I was completely graced out with both my partners – my male partner was awesome and quiet and played music at night.  While we didn’t share our life stories, we still got along just fine, and worked well together.  My female partner and I were excellently matched with each other, and we talked about things – love, life, spirituality, - that I haven’t felt comfortable sharing with anyone other than my sister.  She was invaluable to helping me with my crushes – providing a shoulder to cry on or a harsh word to snap me out of ridiculous thinking, both exactly when I needed them.  A close friend, and those are hard to find. 

This summer marked a period of consistent listening to doctrine, which I am certain is where my peace in the back country came from.  I learned that I can stay consistent, even 14 hiking miles away from the nearest trailhead and without anyone else around to listen with, and this meant a lot to me.